Thu, Dec 26, 2019 page3

• Gou wants new ‘Sunflower movement’

  CONTENTIOUS PROPOSAL: If the DPP passes its anti-infiltration bill, Gou said he would sleep at the legislature in protest, while the DPP said it just wants to protect the nation

  • By Chen Yun and Chen Ching-min / Staff reporters
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  Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) on Tuesday said that he would organize a “Sunflower movement 2019” at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) insists on passing a proposed anti-infiltration bill by the end of the year.

  If the DPP passes the bill on Tuesday next week, as it has said it would, he would lead a group of Taiwanese businesspeople to protest at the legislature, Gou told Coco Hot News, a talk show on Formosa Television

  The protest would be in the fashion of the Sunflower movement, he said, adding that he would sleep at the legislature.

  

  Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou, front left, joins Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative candidate John Wu, front right, on stage at a campaign event in Taoyuan on Tuesday.

  Photo: CNA

  The bill is 10 to 20 times worse than a cross-strait service trade agreement that sparked the Sunflower movement and has never been properly discussed, he said.

  Asked about a DPP campaign to oppose the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) legislator-at-large nomination of former general Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷), Gou said he believes the KMT can secure enough party votes for Wu — who is fourth on the nominee list — to receive a seat.

  “If the KMT only secures three legislator-at-large seats, would that not make it even more minor than the Taiwan People’s Party?” he asked.

  However, the campaign could still result in the KMT losing votes from some of its supporters and independent voters, Gou said.

  Under such circumstances, the People First Party would be a better choice, he said.

  Ideally, there should be two major parties and two minor parties, he added.

  “It would be more effective to oppose [KMT Chairman] Wu Den-yih (吳敦義),” Yonglin Foundation chief executive officer Amanda Liu (劉宥彤) said, laughing, as Wu Den-yih is 14th on the KMT’s nominee list.

  The issue would eventually be brought up, Gou said, adding that if the KMT loses the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections, it would be due to its system.

  Later yesterday, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) said that the bill would only crack down on those who have done harm to the nation.

  The bill is designed to address infiltration of Taiwan, which has been perceived as a threat to the nation’s safety, she said.

  Chen urged people to read the bill, saying: “Freedom and democracy are the DPP’s core values and we will not breach them.”

  DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that in promoting the bill, the government is fulfilling its responsibility to protect the nation and its people from foreign governments and organizations.

  The bill is to be strictly reviewed and the DPP would offer explanations and clarifications where necessary, he said.
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